Formula 1 boys' club 2026

[PlatinumZealot]

Can you ever recall a time when Formula 1 was highly inaccessible boys' club even for mega-rich? Only friends of friends are allowed and mountains of cash was no guaranteeed party entry?

I find it a bit hypocrtical that the current teams are rejecting a prospective entrant who has mountains of cash, manufacturer backing, huge home market and legendary racing heritage?! What's really on here?

[AR3-GP]

Can you ever recall a time when Formula 1 was highly inaccessible boys' club even for mega-rich? Only friends of friends are allowed and mountains of cash was no guaranteeed party entry?

I find it a bit hypocrtical that the current teams are rejecting a prospective entrant who has mountains of cash, manufacturer backing, huge home market and legendary racing heritage?! What's really on here?

Why is it hypocritical? They have zero incentive to want to share the limelight or prize money with Andretti. Its up to the FIA to push it through.

[Just_a_fan]

Can you ever recall a time when Formula 1 was highly inaccessible boys' club even for mega-rich? Only friends of friends are allowed and mountains of cash was no guaranteeed party entry?

I find it a bit hypocrtical that the current teams are rejecting a prospective entrant who has mountains of cash, manufacturer backing, huge home market and legendary racing heritage?! What's really on here?

Why is it hypocritical? They have zero incentive to want to share the limelight or prize money with Andretti. Its up to the FIA to push it through.

Exactly. Each of the teams has reason to be against it - the tail/mid field because a new team might take points from them and thus cost them prize money, the front of the field because if a new entrant gets it right out of the box then they might take the title.

It's up to FIA / LM to push through the addition of new teams. If the existing teams don't like it, they know where the door is.

[mzso]

Can you ever recall a time when Formula 1 was highly inaccessible boys' club even for mega-rich? Only friends of friends are allowed and mountains of cash was no guaranteeed party entry?

I find it a bit hypocrtical that the current teams are rejecting a prospective entrant who has mountains of cash, manufacturer backing, huge home market and legendary racing heritage?! What's really on here?

Why is it hypocritical? They have zero incentive to want to share the limelight or prize money with Andretti. Its up to the FIA to push it through.

Except they don't have the rights. They relinquished it to F1 management.

[JordanMugen]

I find it a bit hypocrtical that the current teams are rejecting a prospective entrant who has mountains of cash, manufacturer backing, huge home market and legendary racing heritage?! What's really on here?

Why didn't Andretti Autosport just buy Manor Racing when it was insolvent?

The notion of a "boy's club" is readily disputed by the fact that 3 additional teams were admitted for the 2010 season, they didn't have to pay the $100m (IIRC) entry fee that Toyota paid in 2001 either. That priorities have changed now, is by-the-by owing to different commercial and sporting administrations.

[coaster]

I like the original post, Eddie Jordan wrote a small opinion piece in the same style expressing amazement and disillusion at f1's rejection of Andretti.
If the sport gets 'decaffinated' any further and the only added value is bitching about politics, what are we left with?
Gutless and noiseless cars,
Over regulated car designs offering only the smallest chance of innovative design.

I have only the smallest of interest if f1 now and i was at 3d cad junkie level of interest in the 2000's.

They just dont do it like they used to, its fake now.